Polling Planned, But Voters Absent in Northern Humla

The House of Representatives election is scheduled to take place on February 21, and the Election Commission is making the necessary preparations. The commission has already finalized polling centers and polling stations, as well as the voter numbers for all 165 electoral constituencies.

While election activities are intensifying across the country, Jang village in Limi, Humla, remains deserted. Located in Namkha Rural Municipality-6 in northern Humla, Jang village is currently completely empty. About ten years ago, the village had 67 households, but it is now abandoned.

According to official data, the polling station at Bhrikuti Basic School in Limi Jang village has 247 registered voters. However, none of the voters are currently residing in the village. Similarly, Halji in Namkha Rural Municipality-6 is also deserted. Although some residents usually stay in a few houses when there is no snowfall, most have left the village due to extreme cold.

At the Halji polling station located at Sunkhani Basic School, there are 293 registered voters, but most of them have migrated to Kathmandu and various cities in India. Likewise, the polling station at Himshikhar Basic School in Tilmama has 132 registered voters, yet most voters are currently living in Taklakot, China, Kathmandu, and cities in India, including Delhi.

Humla’s Chief District Officer, Tek Kumar Regmi, said that conducting elections in the northern region under the current conditions is not feasible. He added that this situation has already been communicated to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Election Commission.

“We are in a state of preparation to conduct the election. However, the law does not specify whether an election should or should not be held based on the number of voters present at a polling station,” Regmi told Onlinekhabar. “We have repeatedly informed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Election Commission. We are waiting for further instructions from higher authorities and will proceed accordingly.”

He also noted that although a few people are currently living in some northern villages, travel to and from those areas is extremely difficult at present.